Beet-harvester.



H. P. JENSEN. BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED 145.12.12, 1914.

1,10y72; Patented July 1914.

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anni/HW H. P.. JENSEN.

BERT HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED MAE. 12, 1914.

1,102,272. Patented July 7, 1914.1

2 SHEETS-SHEET Ummm# MM i wmaw Cit HANS PEDEB JENSEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

Beer-HARVESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lPatented July 191 e.

Application filed March 12, 1914. Serial No. 824,200.

To all w/tom/ 'may concern.

Be it known that l, HANS Panini Jensen', a subject of the King o`t` Denmark, residing at San Francisco, in the county ot' :ian l `rancisco and State of California, have invented .certain new and useful Improve `ments in Beet-Harvesters, otl which the lollowing is a specification.

Ythis invention relates to beet harvestcrs, and it has for its principal object to pio duce an. organized machine ot simple and improved construction whereby the beets will be lifted from lthe ground. conveyed in an upward and rearward -ilirectioin and whereby the leaves or tops will be detached, together with the upper succulent portion which l .shall terni the neck of the'lbeet root, said neck being subsequently detached from the leaves, the latter being discarded.

A further object of the invention is to produce a machine oi the class described wherein the conveyingr means shall be composed partly ot cylindrical or approximately cy iindrical brushes which are supported for rotation and which cooperate with other carrying means to support, the beet while being carried in a rearward direction.

A further object oit the invention is to simplify and improve the construction of the brushes and of the carrier cooperating therewith.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as thc nature ot' the invention is better understood, the same consiste in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination ot' parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out vin thc claims.

ln the accompanying' drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation 'is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the' claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the dra\vings,-l*`igure l is a sectional elevation of a machine constructedin accordance with the invention, taken on the line 'l--l in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top plan view oil the saine. Fig. 3 is a transverse seo tion taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. l is a view in side elevation of the beet lifter utilized in connection with the invention. `Fig. 5 is a front View of the same. Fig. 6 is a. perspective detail view of the clearing knives which are utilized to separate the leaves Jfrom the neck of the root. Figs. 7. 5l, il. l() and-ll are detail views ot' one o't` tbc linksy ol the conveyor. Fig'. 1Q is a detail view illustrating a modified 'forni ol c vlindrical lli-urli member.

Correspondiup paris in the several ligures are denoted by like characters ol reference.

'lhe iramc 15 ot' the improved machine is mounted on an axle lo having ground wheels 17.i said axle being .supported for rotation so that power may be'taken therefrom and conveyed to the moviufz parts ot the Inachine, l I

Supported for rotation in the trame are two brush members i8, said brush members being' prelrablv of the approximate configuration illustrated` in the drawings, bv rclcrcnce to which it will be seen that said brush members are made tapering` in two directions and that said brush members are so positioned with respect to each other that thci axes will converge rcarwz'irtll5v and that their forwardly taperinlgr portions will be so positioned thai thc lower portions lhereol are substantially parallel to the surface ol the ground and in ,:onlact therewith, or nearly so. ll'hcn thus positioned it is evi dentthat thc `forward ends oi: the two brush unmbersl will diverge with respect. to cach other so as to invite and 'facilitate the entrance therebetween of the leaves or tops` oi the row ol beets that is beingr operated upon. "lrhe brushes, the tufts ot' which may be composed of any well known brush material. include in their'construction the centrally located body members 19 on which the tufts are mounted tanr'entially, as will be seen b v re'tfcrence to liig. Il. ltwill. turthermore. be leen that the tults are arranged in spiral series with respect to the central members l5). as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2. For the purpose oi transmitting motion lrom the axle to 'the brushes a counter shaft Q() is provided. said shaft receiving' motion ilrom the axle through the medium ot' an endless chain 21. The shaft 20 carries bevel gears 2Q meshing` with pinions 2&5 on the rear ends ot' the brush members which will thus he rotated when the machine is in motionI` it beine; understood that the direction of rotation is as indicated'by the arrows in Fig. 3, the lower parts of the brushes moving upwardly and inwardly. The brushes are to be mounted in Such fashion that the rearwardly tapering por- C o'fanee oi d e -A ied witn enain mneel,

Conveyer chain C o Said ehain is e shown in detail l views reprele. links. Each link i Censis... 1g; of a plete 2"( @werd arounded pivot i to e et-.ess the ln ic, a shonldei or 'l to elnit on the pretlie chain of which trein ile ing in an also ford litl;

divergent ""upwardlyi,

e neeapply to e! il t i' d occupies an inverted posianin. 'ihe chain links are joined toe Her by leans of pivots ,it will be seen het the conveyer @bain t istruct ed and inoiinte r @ad with focwe ll 'A i a lower prongs; it

nl also be understood iile the chain le oi flexing so that it nifiy be trained citing wiieels, it is incapable opposite di' onj thus s oi the chain o t and esos the lower load from 'flexing 'ziotioii of .the

t machine is in oi ra on. be mentioned that the brushes -o.r.fe \rer chain are preferably to be ich rclatie speed that, assuming be carried rearward the lower adt it will be engaged throughout accomplished by properl beyei 22 .find 23. i l growled. seid beet f1 i i I ai,

namen me tneni ALor ne conveyeiv mt. side, renfe, tops oi" the saine spiral series.'

tro-in the eonnter shaft 20 in any consubstantially venient .manner which may be as indicated in the drawings, but which will need no detailed description. The 'axial shaft ll of the rotary cutter is supported with respect to the chain conveyer C so that the operation oi' the latter will not be interu tered with, and also preferably in such ner es to permity adjustment yerticaliy, of the Cutter so as to engage the roots at such distance below the leafy tops as may be desired.

Supported te the rear of the rotary cutter i0 a clearing member or clearing cutter l), shown in detail :in Fig. 6, and comprising :L supporting shank 42 having divergent arms e3, the forward ends of which support upwardly and forwardly converging cutting members 44 which are placed at an angle substantially equal to the angle between the doorging prongs oi' each 'chain link,` said prongs being practically engaged by the said Cutting members. ln Fig. l of the drawings the cutting members 48 have been shown as engaging the inner cutting members converging between the prongs or" the Chain links. ln Fig. `6 the enti'ing members have been positioned exteriorly with respect to the prongs 3l, and would have it understood that no limitation is intended with respect to the relative posi tion oi? the prongs and the cutting members;

l'n l2 of the drawings a slight modification has been illustrated which consists simply in constructing each of the brushes of a plurality of sections, two such sections e6, e7 .being indicated and said sections being independently revolnble. When such construction used it is evident that motion to be transmitted to said sections indem nendently by any well known or convenient transmission means.

TFrom the foregoing description,v taken in mfnniection with Athe drawings hereto aini Kerl, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily unnerstood by lose skilled in the art to which it eppen l (ben the machine is drawn over the. lield, th roller 36 will beat down the leafy tops of the roots, not with the intention or Crush-- or breaking thema but merely with View ot flattening said tops so es to facilitate their subsequent eng;egeinent` with. A y I prongs oi the chain eonyeyer, The

which hes beenset gni til?

mesma depth will now operate to lift the beets from the ground. the leafy tops being now engaged by the brushes which will sweep upwardly the said tops as well as the bodies of the beet roots until the tops become engaged by' the divergent prongs 3l of the linlts of the conveyer chain, whereby the roots are now carried in a rearward direction. The upward sweep of thebrushesagainst the beet tops and roots during their rearward transit will tend to maintain them securely 'and properly in position with their upper portions practically seated between the prongs. As the beet roots approach the rearward lend of the machine, they will be engaged by the rotary cutter 40, being thereby severethand the roots falling on the endless conveyer 39. This operation will leave the necks and-the leafy tops of the beet roots still supported in the angles of the prongs which are next engaged. by the clearing knives, which latter converge in thel direction of the angles of the prongs, thereby serving to separate the leafy tops from the necks, the latter being permitted to drop on the chute 48, being thereby conveyed to one side. lt is obvious that a receptacle may be provided for these neck portions` which are extremely succulent and valuable tor feed. The leafy tops are detached :from the chain by the upward sweep et the rear ends of the brushes and are therebv Vthrown aside and on lto the ground, the centrifugal action oi'the brushes being sufficient t'or this purpose.

lt is obvious that the several moving parts ot the machine may be driven at such relative speed as may be i'ound most desirable; it may also be stated that simple adjusting beprovided whereby the rotary brush members may be adjusted to compensate for wear.

lt'has been found in practice that one vot' the extremely desirable and advantageous features ot' this machine is that it will operate upon the beet roots without bruising or otherwise injuring them, causing them to lose their valuable juices.

lt is to be understood that the brushes may be of any desired and convenient con struction, no limitation being made to the .use of tufts which would indicate the assemblage of the brush material in bunches; provided only that the brush material shall be of such a nature that it willtlcxibly or resiliently engage the crop, and more par ticularly the leafy tops ot the beets in such a manner that as the brushes rotate they will exert -a resilient upward pressure on the parts of the beets engaged thereby, thus serving to maintain the bert tops in engagement with the conveyer chain and the beet roots suspended in the prope..v position while in transit through the machine Without injuring the skins of the roots, this being as sisted bv the tangential arrangement of said tufts which has been herein described. Said tangential arrangement of the tufts also enables the brushes to clear themselves more readily of the leaves and waste matter than would otherwise be possible. T his action is further due to the fact that the beet roots `are in no wise impaled upon' or injured by the prongs on the links of the conveyor chain, said prongs serving simply to engage the leafy tops and to afford a seat upon which the neck or top'portion of the beet root is maintained by the upward sweep of the enacting brush members, the leafy tops being s\vept upward above the lower lead of the conveyer chain, while the beet root will gravitate to the approximate position sho-Wn in ["ig. 1 of the drawings intermediate the' tront chain wheel 25 and thecutting appa ratus. I

lit is desired to note that owing to the manner herein shown ot' mounting the tail conveyer for swiveling movement, it will be possible to deposit the heet roots extracted t'rom a plurality oi rows in a single row on the ground, thereby greatly facilitating the subsequent ga thering of the roots, this being obviously made possible by proper adjust.-

ment ot' the eonveyer at the beginning of each row.

llaving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new` is'- l. Vln a beet harvester, enacting flexible brushes supported tor'rotaton and operat ing to exert an upward sweep on the leafy tops o t beet roots extracted from the ground.`

L). ln a beet lnirvester, eoacting flexible brushes supported for rotation and exertin an inward and upward sweep, and an end less conveyor coiiperating with said brushes.

3. ln a beet harvester, courting1 flexible brushes suiiported 'for rotation and exerting an inward and upward sweep, an endless conveyer supported intermediate the brushes and having links provided with divergent prongs, and actuating means for the brushes and the convcyer.

4. ln a beet harvester. coaeting flexible brushes supported for rotation and having upwardly and rearwardly convergent axes, said brushes being tapering forwardly and rearwardly, and the lower portions of the Aforwardly tapering portions being substarb tially horizontal.

ln a beet harvester, coaeting tiexible brushes supported tor rotation and having an inward and upward sweep, the axes of said brushes converging upwardly and rearwardly` and said brushes having forwardly and rearwardly tapering portions, the lower portions of the forwardly tapering portions being substantially horizontal, and the rearchain and lille brushes.

he lower leed of The eenvever chain, and

brushes snpperteel for roteiien and having an inward and Upward sweep. said brushes having rearwardly tapering snhsezmtiellv ennteeting port-Mns, in eembinntion with an endless mvnveyer suppoied intermedia@ said brushes, sniil chain having links adapted'o' seat the tep portions el" the beet rents :incl to engage the l .elfv ops lheijeei".

7. ln a beet lmxvestei'7 an endless conveyer chain having links previcled Willi divergent prongs, in mmbii'mtirm willi rotary flexible brush members adapted in exert. en upward sweep with respect to the lower lend (if the Chain, and zutuaing means for the Cenveyer S. ln e beet harvester7 :1n endless eonveyer Chain minimising nivolzilljv (fi-inneed links. seid chain beingenpalile el flexing in one, (liree'tien only. and seid links being provided with divergent prongs, in cemhiniitifm with lefible brushes supported ffii: rotation ind exerting' en upward sweep ivi'h respect te ienafing mennsifm' ihe L rnslies and lie Conveyer.

9. lne beer, harveser of the character lescribed. including* an endless eenveyer und iexible brushes supporecl for rotation and .fflepl m exert an upward sweep with repeit sie J(he lower lead of the ennveyer. a, fimi/ crushing roller supported in eflvance of lie, brushes to flatten he beet 'beps previene te engegeinen wih said brushes.

i0. bee hnrveser cen'inrising im eid less eenveyer ehriin, exible brushes supneru eil. rebellion axrljaceni to lihe sides of the i lower Convey/er lead and ezersing en upward.

the lotion of the brushes end eetuainfr" ineens.

ll. A beet harvester cerqprising :in eri less conve/ver chain7 lexible' brushes supported for rotation adjacent lo he sides of lhe lmvei' ennveyer lead and exering an upward sweep Willi reference hereto, seid chain having'links previclefl v divergei'it prongs, n'ieans for severing he bees which nre. held in engagement with ne prongs by the n'cl'ien (ift-he lui'rishes,'fi,i1fl n'ienns orsevering the leafy tops from `the necks ci the beets that are engaged by the eonveyer'chain after ille. severing of lbhe beet mets.

1i). A, beet harvester in whieh is included :in endlessA conveyer,` beef; 1i"` flexible brushes snppoi'ed remien enel adapted by en inward sind upward sweep be meve the iited bees upivereily mm meinty with the lower leed of the com/ever, beet severing Ineens, and clearing means for separating he leafy tops :from ehe necks mi the beets that are retained in engagement with The cmiveyer by the acin 0i bhe, rotary brushes for the severing of the hee/f. reel'.

ln ibesininy whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

y HAN PEDER JENSEN. "lili messes H. HOUGH, BENNETT S. JONES. 

